Razer today announced the final specs and availability for its Core desktop graphics enclosure.

The Core will ship in April and is available for pre-orders now at $399 if you buy it with a Razer notebook (either the Blade or Blade Stealth) or already have a Razer notebook. Otherwise, it's $499.

Cards are installed by pulling a reactor core-like tube (hence the name) out of the center of the device. The seating process is similar to how you'd install a card onto a regular PC motherboard, but no tools are required; Razer even includes the thumbscrew.

Like the graphics amplifier from Alienware, the Core is compatible with several AMD and Nvidia graphics cards. Razer Core can accommodate graphics cards that draw a maximum of 375 watts and are no larger than 12.20 by 5.98 by 1.73 inches. AMD graphics cards that the Core supports at launch are: AMD Radeon R9 Fury, Nano, 300 Series, 290X, 290, and 280. On the Nvidia side, GeForce GTX Titan X, 980 Ti, 980, 970, 960, 950, 750 Ti, and 750 are supported.

Note that all of the AMD cards are certified for plug-and-play, which means you can connect a notebook via the USB Type-C connector with no reboot required.

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That's because AMD wrote drivers for its Radeon GPUs in order to support an external graphics chassis, ExtremeTech reports. Radeon cards running software version 16.2.2 or later support the feature. The software monitors which applications are running on an external GPU and offers the option to close current applications and prep the system for safe removal.

Some Nvidia cards aren't yet plug-and-play certified, though Razer says it is working to get all compatible cards to support the feature.

With four USB 3.0 ports and a DisplayPort connector, the Core also serves as a hub for peripherals. As for the gaming experience, PCMag tested a pre-production Core connected to a Razer Blade Stealth at CES in January. He found the setup performed seamlessly in a few minutes of Fallout 4 gameplay.

About the Author

As a hardware analyst, Tom tests and reviews laptops, peripherals, and much more at PC Labs in New York City. He previously covered the consumer tech beat as a news reporter for PCMag in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, where he rode in several self-driving cars and witnessed the rise and fall of many startups. Before that, he worked for PCMag's s... See Full Bio

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